Improvement in apparatus for bending railroad-rails



it-initrd gtatr gedient Gibiiifrr.

GEORGE D. EMERSON, Ol GALUMET, MICHIGAN.

Letters Patent No. 108,123, dated October 11, 1870; antedated September 26, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR BENDING RAILROAD-RAILS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part Of the Same I, GEORGE D. EMERSON, of Calumet, iu the county of Houghton and State of Michigan, have invented a new and improved Apparatus for Straightening Bent and Torn Rails on Railway-Tracks, of which the following is a specificationv The object of my invention isto straighten, without removing from the road-bed, suoli rails as have become bent at their ends while in use; and

It consists essentially of a lever-beam, constructed as hereinafter described, and operating in connection with a handlever and eccentric slotted plates, or other suitable clutch, for connecting with the bottom flange of the rail, and with vclutch-hooks of suitable oonstruction, for clasping around the head of the rail at the part to be acted upon.

Figure l is a side elevation of my device, showing it applied to a rail.

VFigure 2 is an end elevatioirof the same, the parts adjacent to the eccentric being in section.

Figure 3 is a sepa-rate view of one form of clutchhook.

Figure 4 is a view of a clutch-hook with adjustingscrew.

The wear upon railways has the effect to cause the ends ofthe rails to bend downward at the joints,

which point is apt to be inadequately supported by the chair; and it is desirable to effect the straightening of the part without removing them from'their place.

To accomplish this I provide a lever-beam, A, which may be constructed of cast-iron, the form bcling one of great strength, to resist vertical s trains. Its upper side is preferably straight, while its lower outline is curved downward, giving it a camshape at the point designed to rest upon the surface of the rail-head.

It is formed of a vertical web, l1 b, haviuga fianche or frame, c, extending around its boundary, and the top and bottom portions strengthened, at or near its point of bearing upon the rail, by avertieal member, d, of corresponding size.

rIhe short arm e is left free, but connected with the right arm is a hand-lever, fixed to a movable axis, which has an eccentric portion working in the leverbeam.

On either side of the beam are slotted plates g y,.at tached to the levenaxis f, extending below the i'lan'chc of the rail, through which is passed a key, h, firmly holding the axisj' in its relative positionto the rail, so that the cam, when turned by the hand-lever B, acts upon the long arm of 'the lever-beam, depressing it, and elevating the free ond` or short armv c.-

lhc part which. receives thehand-lever B consists of two side-plates 7c la, fig. 2, rigidly connected with the axis f, by being fitted to the ends of the latter, with the slotted plates g g intervening between them and the lever-beam on each side.

The plates lt' la have transverse bars jj with sockets, in which the hand-lever is inserted.

To operate upon a bent rail, a clutch, of one or other oi' the forms hereinafter described, is clamped below the depressed part of the-railrand properly adjusted thereto, while the hand-lever is in a vertical position. The hand-lever is then moved to a horizontal position, bringing the power of the lever-beam to act upon the clamp in au upward direction, thus restoring the rail to its normal straightness.

This motion is produced by an eccentric pin, the larger circle of which is in the lever-beam, the smalier set eccentric to the larger in the slotted plates, and the ends square, to receive the plates of the handlever B.

For some purposes the clutch-hook may he of t-he simple form shown in tig. 3, consisting of two arms l Z jointed together; their free ends bent toward eac-h other, adapting them to clasp under the head of the rail, and a loose link, m, to hold them engaged.

Shoulders t i are provided, against which theleverbeam acts in lifting, thus relieving the joint from any strain.

But the form of clutch best adapted for general use, is that shown at Iig. 4, which combines with the two hooked arms n n, the adjusting-screw o, and cross hea-d p, which form's a lint for the screw, and to which the arms are pivotcd.

The link n is also provided with a set-screw, s, by which thc hooks are held to their position under the rail.

When applied, the free end of the lever-beam lies between the arms n n, and the screw o is turned down by its hand-rod t, until it bears on the beam, so that no niotion of the latter takes place without aeting on the rail.

rlhe link 'la may be hinged to one of the arms, if desired.

Anothermethod of operating with this device consists as follows:

Remove the key h. from below the rail, and placcit through the slotted plates above the rail; place the clutch on the lever-beam in a position corresponding with the rib d, and a block, or other adequate support, under the end c resting on the rail-head, when the operation of the lever B, and eccentric connected with its axis, elevatcs the lever-beam, and with it the rail at the point where the clutch is attached. the block at c serving as a fulcrum. l

I claim as my invention- 1. rIhe combination of the lever-beam A, the ec centrcf, hand-lever B, slotted plates gfand the graspthe axis of the eccentric f, by which the beam is opingclutch, when arranged for joint operation, suberated, substantially as described.

stzmtially its set forth. In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my 2. The .clutch -G consisting of the hooked arms n name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

n, head1), adjusting-screw o, link my., with or without GEO. D. EMERSON.

thel set-screw s. l s

3. The side-plates k with'cross-pieces j', forming a Witnesses: Y

socket for the handle B, in combination with the KATE N..JONes,

slotted plates g, when all are arranged and turn on JONA. AUSTIN. 

